Page 86 of One Time in Paris
“Oh, the one with Isla Scott?” Lola gave him a knowing look.
What in the hell?How did she know about it?
She caught his expression and smiled. “We still have a lot of mutuals, Aiden. Don’t forget, my father is friendly with Frank Scott. They golf together and go to the same tournaments. He saw him at the Masters last week and mentioned Isla was filming something you’d funded. So I asked Callum about it when I called to RSVP for their party. Frank invited us when we were in Georgia.”
His pulse speeded.Called Callum.
Holy fuck.
The speed with which the lift dropped to the lobby made him dizzy—or was that Lola’s words? His mouth dried as the lift slowed and stopped, the doors opening.
“Yes,” he said, forcing a calm he didn’t feel. “That’s what we were meeting about in Vegas.” He left the lift, then turned to face her in the lobby.
“I assumed,” she said with a catlike smile. “So I told Callum about how I’d run into youboththere. Funny, he seemed to think you hadn’t seen each other.”
Oh shite.
He shrugged it off, pretending he couldn’t hear his pulse in his ears. “I’ve barely seen Callum the last few weeks or been in London.”
“Yes, he did say that.” Then Lola crossed her arms. “But, you know, I got to thinking about how the whole thing just looked...off. So I did a little digging of my own. Did you know that Las Vegas marriage records are open to the public, Aiden?”
He stiffened, his grip on his bag tighter now.
Bloody. Fucking. Hell.
His eyes bored into hers, and the look of smug satisfaction made his blood boil with fury.
“I guess you aren’tcompletelyopposed to marrying, after all.” Her voice hardened.
“That’s my private business,” Aiden snapped coldly.
She tilted her head. “You’d think her own brother would know?—”
“Don’t you dare tell me you shared that information.”
Her lips pursed. “Don’t worry, Aiden, your sordid little secret is safe with me. For now.” She took a step closer. “Because it is sordid, isn’t it? The head of Camden Enterprises marries a floozyactressin what can only have been acharmingVegas ceremony. Prenup? Doubtful. Sounds like a man who makes sound decisions. Not to mention you’re clearly screwing your best friend’s sister. Trustworthy lot.”
“What do you want, Lola?” Sweat formed on the back of his neck.
She shrugged. “To humiliate you, Aiden, the way you’ve humiliated me. But the truth is, it’s not worth it. You had your chance...chancesto keep me, and you threw me away. You chose anactressover me. You’re a fool. I thought I still loved you, but you clearly don’t return those feelings, and right now, I can’t say I’m sorry.”
His mind raced for the right response.
No matter what he said, he might piss her off further. If he told her the marriage was fake and meaningless, that would only hurt her because he’d denied her that when they had been in a relationship. And it might hurt Isla, somehow, if it got back to her.
But telling Lola that hehadmoved on? That he’d found someone who he genuinely cared about and interested him? That was just as dangerous.
“I don’t know what you want me to say here,” he said at last, feeling foolish and unprepared. She’d thrown this at him in a well-planned, conniving sneak attack.
“I guess there’s really nothing to say. Anyway, the person I feel sorry for here is Callum. Maybe Isla a little, too, because she’s probably infatuated. Doesn’t know how easily your affection can turn to cold disinterest. When it comes down to it, you’re incapable of genuineanything. Clearly not friendship or love. You’re just going to break her heart—like you did mine—and lose your best friend in the process.”
She stepped back, letting her guard down for a moment. She broke eye contact and blinked quickly as though tears threatened. “But don’t think I won’t get a good laugh when this all blows up in your face, Aiden, because I will. And you deserve everything that’s coming to you. It turns out I don’t need to destroy you, Aiden. You’ll do that on your own.”
“Lola—” he started, but she turned and strode away, heels clicking in the vast, empty lobby.
He palmed his face, trying to think. If he went after her and tried to fix this, he’d miss his flight to Nashville.
Maybe there wasn’t anything to fix.
